Robert Burns, the son of a hard-working and intelligent farmer, was the oldest of seven children. Although always hard pressed financially, their father encouraged his sons with their education. As a result, Burns not only read the Scottish poetry of Ramsay and the collections by Hailes and Herd, but also the works of Pope, Locke, and Shakespeare.
By 1781, Burns had tried his hand at several agricultural jobs without success. Although he had begun writing, and his poems were spread widely in manuscript (手稿), none were published until 1786, when Burns published Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (1786), which was an immediate success. Later Burns brought out a second edition of his poems at Edinburgh in 1787, and for two winters he was socially active in the Scottish city. In 1788 he retired to a farm at Ellis land. By 1791 Burns had failed as a farmer, and he moved to Dumfries, where he held a position as a tax collector. He died of illness at 37.
Burns’s art is at its best in songs such as My Heart’s in the Highlands. Some of his songs, such as Auld Lang Syne and Comin’ thro’ the Rye, are among the most familiar and best-loved songs in the English language. But his talent was not limited to songs; two descriptive pieces, Tam o’ Shanter and The Jolly Beggars, are among his masterpieces.
Burns had a fine sense of humor, which was reflected in his satirical (讽刺的), descriptive, and playful poems. His great popularity with the Scots lay in his ability to describe the life of his fellow rural Scots. His use of dialect brought an energetic, much-needed freshness into English poetry.
小题1: What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Burn had a wealthy childhood.

B．Burns was best loved by his parents.

C．Burns’s father cared more about his kids’ education.

D．Burns wanted to be a poet when he grew up.

小题2:Robert was not officially accepted by readers until______.

A．1781

B．1786

C．1787

D．1791

小题3: Robert made his best achievement in art by writing _______.

A．songs

B．poems

C．stories

D．humors

小题4: What was Robert’s biggest contribution to English poetry?

A．His satirical style.	B．His descriptiveness.
C．His fine sense of humor.	D．His use of Scottish dialect.

小题5: We can conclude from the passage that Robert _______.

A．majored in agriculture when he was a student

B．earned a lot of money by publishing his poems

C．was a failure in managing farms but a success in art

D．showed much interest in collecting tax before he died

完形填空 （共20小题，每小题1分，满分20分）
I was on a bus one March evening. The driver didn’t   36  to start the bus soon because it was not yet   37 . A middle-aged woman got on. Tired and sad, she told her story    38 , not to anyone in particular. On her way to the station, half of her   39  was stolen. The other half was hidden under her blouse, so she   40  still had some left. A few minutes later, she stopped crying, but still looked   41  .
When all the seats were taken, the driver started the engine. The conductor began to collect fares. When she came to an old man in worn-out clothes, he   42  that he had spent all his money when he had accidentally got on a wrong bus and now he was trying to go home. On hearing this, she ordered the old man to   43 the bus. The old man was almost in tears as he   44 her to let him take the bus home. The driver took the conductor’s side and repeated the conductor’s   45 .
The woman was watching the incident.  46 the driver and the conductor raised their voices at the old man, she interfered (干预).
“Stop   47  him! Can’t you see he’s only trying to get home?”
“He doesn’t have any money!” the driver   48  .
“Well, that’s no   49  to throw him off the bus,” she insisted.
Then she reached inside her blouse, took out her   50  money, and handed it to the conductor. “Here’s his fare and mine. Just stop giving him a   51  time.”
All heads turned to the woman. “It’s only money,” she shrugged（耸肩）. She rode the rest of the way home   52  a happy smile, with the money she’d lost earlier   53  .
On the road of life, the help of strangers can   54  our loads and lift our spirits. How much sweeter the   55  will be when we make it a little smoother for others!

小题1:	A．try B．care C．decide D．want

小题2:	A．empty B．full C．crowded D．ready

小题3:	A．tearfully B．seriously C．carefully D．calmly

小题4:	A．fare B．possession C．money D．wealth

小题5:	A．strangely B．happily C．secretly D．luckily

小题6:	A．unsatisfied B．weak C．unhappy D．excited

小题7:	A．explained B．announced C．admitted D．found

小题8:	A．get off B．start C．get on D．stop

小题9:	A．begged B．scolded C．praised D．thanked

小题10:

A．request B．action C．suggestion D．command

小题11:

A．Unless B．Although C．Until D．When

小题12:

A．attacking B．bothering C．complaining D．wronging

小题13:

A．warned B．whispered C．shouted D．repeated

小题14:

A．problem B．need C．matter D．reason

小题15:

A．spending B．collected C．remaining D．borrowed

小题16:

A．busy B．cold C．hard D．fearful

小题17:

A．giving B．wearing C．taking D．forcing

小题18:

A．forgotten B．used C．earned D．returned

小题19:

A．move B．increase C．lighten D．carry

小题20:

A．world B．journey C．smile D．friendship

Success is often measured by the ability to overcome adversity（逆境）. But it is often the belief of others that gives us the courage（勇气）to try.
J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, began writing at age 6. Her good friend-Sean became the first person to encourage her and help her build the confidence that one day she would be a very good writer.
“He was the first person with whom I really discussed my serious ambition（志向） to be a writer. He was also the only person who thought I was bound to（注定）be a success at it, which meant much more to me than I ever told him at the time.”
Though there were many difficulties, Rowling continued her writing, particularly fantasy stories. But it wasn't until l990 that she first came up with the idea about Harry Potter. As she recalls（回忆）, it was on a long train journey from London to Manchester that “the idea of Harry Potter simply fell into my head. To my great disappointment, I didn't have a pen with me, and I was too shy to ask anybody if I could borrow one. I think, now, that this was probably a good thing, because I simply sat and thought, for four (delayed train) hours, and all the details came up in my brain, and this thin, black-haired, bespectacled（戴眼镜的）boy who didn't know he was a wizard became more and more real to me.”
That same year, her mother died after a ten-year fight with serious diseases, which deeply affected her writing. She went on to marry and had a daughter, but separated from her husband shortly afterwards.
During this time, Rowling was diagnosed with depression（诊断患有抑郁症）. Unemployed, she finished her first novel in area cafes, where she could get her daughter to fall asleep. After being refused by l2 publishing houses, the first Harry Potter novel was sold to a small British publishing house.
Now with seven books that have sold nearly 400 million copies in 64 languages, J. K. Rowling is the highest earning novelist in history. And it all began with her friend’s encouragement as well as her ambition to write.
小题1: Who believed J. K. Rowling was to be a good writer?

A．Her friend Sean.	B．Her mother.
C．Her daughter.	D．Her husband.

小题2:Rowling first came up with the idea about Harry Potter________.

A．at the age of 6

B．on a train journey

C．after her mother's death

D．in her secondary school

小题3: She felt disappointed on the train because_________.

A．her train was delayed for four hours

B．she didn't have a pen with her

C．her mind suddenly went blank

D．no one would offer her help

小题4: It can be concluded from Paragraph 5 and 6 that Rowling is_________.

A．open-minded	B．warm-hearted
C．good-natured	D．strong-willed

小题5: The text mainly tells us_________.

A．adversity makes a good novelist

B．the courage to try is a special ability

C．you can have a wonderful idea everywhere

D．encouragement helps one succeed

Even before my father left us, my mother had to go back to work to support our family. Once I came out of the kitchen, complaining, “Mom, I can’t peel(剥……的皮) potatoes. I have only one hand.”
Mom never looked up from sewing. “You get yourself into that kitchen and peel those potatoes,” she told me. “And don’t ever use that as an excuse for anything again!”
In the second grade, our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the monkey bars, swinging from one high steel rod to the next. When it was my turn, I shook my head. Some kids behind me laughed, and I went home crying.
That night I told Mom about it. She hugged me, and I saw her “we’ll see about that” look. The next afternoon, she took me back to school. At the deserted playground, Mom looked carefully at the bars.
“Now, pull up with your right arm,” she advised. She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right hand until I could hook the bar with my other elbow(肘). Day after day we practiced, and she praised me for every rung I reached. I’ll never forget the next time, crossing the rungs, I looked down at the kids who were standing with their mouths open.
One night, after a dance at my new junior high, I lay in bed sobbing. I could hear Mom come into my room. “Mom,” I said, weeping, “none of the boys would dance with me.”
For a long time, I didn’t hear anything. Then she said, “Oh, honey, someday you’ll be beating those boys off with a bat.” Her voice was faint. I peeked(窥视) out from my covers to see tears running down her cheeks. Then I knew how much she suffered on my behalf（利益）. She had never let me see her tears.
小题1: Which of the following expressions can be used most suitably to describe Mom’s attitude when she made the child to peel potatoes?

A．Cruel.	B．Serious.
C．Cold.	D．Strict

小题2: What does the sentence “I saw her ‘we’ll see about that’ look” imply(暗示)?

A．Mom believed every aim could be achieved if you stuck to it.

B．The race across monkey bars was not difficult enough for a child to give up.

C．Mom was determined to prove she herself was better than the teacher.

D．What the child had said brought Mom great attraction and curiosity.

小题3: When the child looked down at the kids, they were standing with their mouths open because _________.

A．they felt sorry for what they had done before

B．they were afraid the author might fall off and get hurt

C．they were astonished to find the author’s progress

D．they wanted to see what the author would do on the bars

小题4:The most probable conclusion we can draw after reading the passage is ______.

A．the last incident was sad enough to make Mom weep

B．the child’s experience reminded Mom of that of her own

C．Mom could solve any problem except the one in the last paragraph

D．in fact Mom suffered more in the process of the child’s growth

完形填空（1*20=20分）
Mr. Jones had always wanted to make a trip into the middle of Africa to shoot wild animals. 36 first he had no enough money, and then he was married. His wife had not wanted him to 37 her. At last his wife   38 to the trip if he allowed her to go, too.
“But it will be very uncomfortable,” Mr. Jones   39 her. “ It will be very hot and we shall live in a tent, and it   40 be dangerous. ”“I don’t care.” said his wife. “I want to go with you.” So they bought a big tent, camp beds, a refrigerator (电冰箱)which did not need   41 and many other things which would make the trip comfortable, and went off to the__42 of Africa.
The first morning, 43 Mr. Jones took his gun and left the tent, he  44 his wife a bell and explained to her, “If you fell in 45 and you need me ,  46 this bell and I’ll come at once.”
After a few minutes, he heard the bell and returned   47  to the tent. “What’s the matter?” he asked.“   48  ” said his wife, “I was only   49  the bell.” Mr. Jones went off, but after a quarter of an hour, the bell rang   50  .
Mr. Jones hurried back to the tent, but his wife said, “I’m   51 . I was cleaning our tent, and I knocked the bell over by mistake.” Mr. Jones returned to his  __52 , but soon he heard the   53 once more. This time, when he got back to his   54 , the tent was burning and Mrs. Jones was lying on the ground, with  55 running from a big cut on her shoulder. “That’s better!” said Mrs. Jones. “This time the bell had been used correctly!”

小题1:	A．And B．But C．For D．So

小题2:	A．leave B．miss C．marry D．care

小题3:	A．allowed B．permitted C．satisfied D．agreed

小题4:	A．told B．advised C．persuaded D．warned

小题5:	A．may B．ought C．can’t D．shall

小题6:	A．money B．electricity C．force D．power

小题7:	A．south B．middle C．east D．west

小题8:	A．while B．until C．before D．after

小题9:	A．gave B．sent C．lent D．bought

小题10:

A．hurry B．surprise C．safety D．danger

小题11:

A．hit B．knock C．beat D．ring

小题12:

A．again B．back C．quickly D．home

小题13:

A．Something B．Nothing C．No D．None

小题14:

A．ringing B．trying C．using D．testing

小题15:

A．again B．once C．across D．away

小题16:

A．happy B．sorry C．tired D．all right

小题17:

A．wife B．tent C．trip D．hunting

小题18:

A．cry B．shot C．bell D．shout

小题19:

A．garden B．house C．camp D．office

小题20:

A．water B．tears C．blood D．sweat

One night, a little before nine o’clock, Dr Johnson was answering a telephone call. He was asked to go and give an operation to a very sick boy at once. The boy was in a small hospital in Glens Falls, sixty miles away from Dr Johnson’s city – Albany. The boy had hurt himself in a traffic accident. His wife was in danger, but his family was so poor that they could not pay the doctor anything. After he heard all this, Dr Johnson was driving carefully. He thought that he could get to the hospital before 12 o’clock. A few minutes later, the doctor’s car had to stop for a red light at a crossing. Suddenly a man in an old black coat opened the door of the car and got in.
“Drive on”, he said. “I’ve got a gun (枪).”
“I’m a doctor,” said Johnson, “I’m on my way to a hospital to operate on a very sick…”
“Don’t talk,” said the man in the old black coat, “Just drive.”
A mile out of the town he ordered the doctor to stop the car and get out. Then the man drove on down the road. The doctor stood for a moment in the snow. After half an hour, Dr Johnson found a telephone and called a taxi. At the railway station he learned that the next train to Glens Falls would not leave until 12 o’clock.
It was after two o’clock in the morning when the doctor arrived at the hospital in Glens Falls. Miss Clarke, a nurse, was waiting for him.
“I did my best,” said Dr Johnson. Miss Clarke said, “The boy died an hour ago.”
They walked into the waiting room. There sat the man in the old black coat, with his head in his hands.
“Mr. Shute,” said Miss Clarke to the man, “this is Dr Johnson. He had come all the way from Albany to try to save your boy.”
小题1: From the story we know it took Dr Johnson _________ to get to the hospital.

A．12 hours

B．7 hours

C．only 1 hour

D．about 5 hours

小题2:Dr Johnson was late because __________.

A．there was something wrong with his car

B．a strange man made it hard to drive

C．a strange man drove his car away

D．the train to Glens Falls was late

小题3: The man in a black coat __________.

A．hit the boy and ran away

B．took the boy to the hospital

C．was the boy’s father

D．was the real doctor

小题4:The man in black would feel __________ in the end.

A．happy and pleased	B．regretful(悔恨) and sad
C．worried and angry	D．tired and hungry

完形填空 (共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分 30分)
Fred and his wife Edna went to the state fair every year. Every year Fred would say, "Edna, I'd like to   36  in that airplane." And every year Edna would say, "I know Fred, but that airplane ride   37  ten dollars, and ten dollars is ten dollars."
One year Fred and Edna went to the fair again and Fred said, "Edna, I'm 71 years old. If I don't ride that airplane this year I may never get another   38 ." Edna replied, "Fred, the airplane ride needs ten dollars, and ten dollars is ten dollars."
The   39  overheard them and said, "Folks, I'll make you a   40 . I'll take you both up for a ride. If you can stay   41  for the entire ride and not say one word, I won't    42  you, but if you say one word, it's ten dollars."
Fred and Edna agreed and   43  they went. The pilot did all kinds of twists and turns, rolls and dives, but not a word was heard. He did all his   44  over again, but still not a word.
They   45  and the pilot turned to Fred, "By golly, I did everything I could think of to get you to yell out, but you   46 ."
Fred replied, "Well, I was going to say something when Edna   47  out of the plane, but you know ten dollars is ten dollars."

小题1:	A．sit B．ride C．sleep D．hide

小题2:	A．loses B．pays C．costs D．benefits

小题3:	A．job B．unit C．family D．chance

小题4:	A．pilot B．policeman C．stranger D．friend

小题5:	A．promise B．plan C．request D．deal

小题6:	A．safe B．quiet C．kind D．strong

小题7:	A．charge B．punish C．carry D．want

小题8:	A．up B．down C．in D．out

小题9:	A．deeds B．tricks C．flights D．attractions

小题10:

A．climbed B．flew C．landed D．stopped

小题11:

A．failed B．didn’t C．forgot D．moved

小题12:

A．walked B．ran C．fell D．looked

That summer I drank every day, everywhere I went. I had a bottle in my drawer next to me and a bottle next to my bed. I never did another drug, but I drank so much that my family finally asked a priest for help. My father gave me a bottle of medicine for alcoholism that produces unpleasant symptoms when users drink alcohol. I drank while taking it, which made me very sick. And I still drank.
When the priest came, he said, "Jimmy, doctors said that with your diseases and the amount of drinking you’re doing, you’d be lucky to live another six months. So your choice is either to stop drinking and live or to continue drinking and die within six months.”
I said, "I know I can't stop, so guess I'll have to die." The priest told my family what I said. My little brother–who is like my soul mate, looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "But we don't want you to die." All I could think of was how desperately I had to get out of that room at that moment and have a drink.
But I finally stopped drinking. I was on the care team of my dentist Russell. A lot of people in New York knew him. At the time he was the most famous dentist in the city. He drank heavily and was also with AIDS, so I was selected to be on his care team. Everybody on the team was sober (清醒) but me. He went through dementia (痴呆) and died so quickly before my eyes. I stopped drinking and I’ve been with the disease for 35 years now.
小题1: Why did the author’s father give him the bottle of medicine?

A．He wanted him to cure his illness.

B．He was trying to keep him dying.

C．He thought the medicine could make him sick.

D．He believed it could prevent him drinking.

小题2: What did the priest mean by saying to the author “…you’d be lucky to live another six months” in the second paragraph?

A．The author would die after six weeks.

B．The author was too lucky to live for six months.

C．The author could hardly live for six months.

D．The author’s luck was only six months.

小题3: How did the author stop drinking?

A．The dentist Russell helped him to stop it.

B．He was persuaded by the dentist Russell’s death.

C．His care team managed to inspire him.

D．His little brother’s soul saved him.

小题4: What can we learn from the above story?

A．Drinking heavily increases AIDS patients’ illness.

B．Priests can cure many AIDS patients’ illnesses.

C．Drug taking and heavily drinking can cure AIDS patients.

D．Team work and patience can cure AIDS patients.

The Danish (丹麦) architect of the iconic Sydney Opera House, Jorn Utzon, has died at the age of 90, after suffering a heart attack.
Mr. Utzon, an award-winning architect, put "Denmark on the world map with his great talent," said Danish Culture Minister Carina Christensen. Having won a competition in 1957 to design the building, he left the project before it opened in 1973. Mr. Utzon never visited the completed landmark, after disputes about costs. He had quarreled with the Australian client and the costs overran by 1,000%. Even decades later, he declined invitations to return to Australia, but did design, with his son, a new wing which opened in 2006. In 1998 he said, "It's part of education–I can't be bitter about anything in life."

Most of the interior（内部）of the opera house was not completed according to his plans after government-appointed architects took over the job.
The Sydney Opera House planned to dim the lights on the sail-shaped roof on Sunday to mark Mr. Utzon's death.
The chairman of Sydney Opera House Trust, Kim Williams, said, "Jorn Utzon was an architectural and creative genius who gave Australia and the world a great gift. Sydney Opera House is core to our national cultural identity and a source of great pride to all Australians. It has become the most globally recognized symbol of our country."
Mr. Utzon also designed the National Assembly of Kuwait and several prominent buildings in Denmark.
Danish Minister of Culture Carina Christensen paid tribute to him, saying, "Jorn Utzon will be remembered as one of the Danes who in the 20th century put Denmark on the world map with his great talent."
Mr. Utzon won several international awards, including the Alvar Aalto Medal for architecture and France's Legion of Honour.
In 2003 he won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize for his design of the opera house.
小题1: Which of the following is true about Mr. Jorn Utzon?

A．He was born in Demark and worked in Australia.

B．He left Australia before his design was completed.

C．He refused to go back to visit the Opera House all his life.

D．He disagreed with the government client on the building materials.

小题2:From the above passage we may NOT know ______.

A．what Mr. Utzon has contributed to the world

B．the exact time of Mr. Utzon’s birth and death

C．whether he had a family or not

D．when Opera House was completed

小题3: What did the Opera House plan to do to mark its designer’s death?

A．A memorial party would be held on Sunday.

B．Another award would be given out to Mr. Utzon’s son.

C．The lights on the roof of Opera House would become less bright.

D．Another wing would be designed to remember Mr. Utzon.

小题4: The most proper title of the above passage might be ______.

A．Sydney Opera House architect dies

B．Life of Mr. Utzon, a Great architect

C．Designer and builder of Opera House

D．Awards of the Opera House Architect

完型填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
I had a friend who visited me from out of town and I wanted to show him the CN Tower. It was one of the tallest structures on the earth. So I thought it would offer a(n)   36  sight.
We were standing in line for 45minutes to enjoy the    37   up to the watch point. When we got there, we went around the   38     of the tower and saw the hard wire fence  39     to the structure serving as a barrier. We went back inside to look for the glass floor that provided a direct view   40     . As soon as both of us  41     , we stopped before walking onto it. We found that our legs began to   42  . I stopped for a minute considering the step, taking several seconds to   43     the edge before moving.
And then I had a thought in my mind：“It is far   44     compared to any other floor in this building. There is no real danger to me — it’s    45   an illusion. Look at all the people standing on it, and think about those who have stood on it before.”I began to  46     that step onto the glass floor. I didn’t look down —  47    not for a few minutes.
I walked on the    48   and looked around and thought about how  49   the experience was. I even found myself jumping up and down. There was no  50   , and it was certainly an illusion.
I considered how many things in our lives we  51    and exactly how many of them are actually illusions. I thought about all the things we   52    ourselves from doing because we have  53   ourselves into thinking there’s risk. I thought about all the things that I still have yet to do that appeared  54   . I was glad to discover that although fear isn’t a stranger to me, my desire to live a life without    55   has a much stronger pull.

小题1:	A．expressive B．impressive C．frightening D．beneficial

小题2:	A．bus B．ladder C．car D．elevator

小题3:	A．outside B．top C．center D．surface

小题4:	A．connected B．surrounded C．referred D．combined

小题5:	A．around B．up C．down D．out

小题6:	A．understood B．approached C．talked D．returned

小题7:	A．wave B．move C．tremble D．wander

小题8:	A．look over B．think over C．look up D．think up

小题9:	A．tighter B．taller C．weaker D．stronger

小题10:

A．happily B．simply C．greatly D．relatively

小题11:

A．take B．choose C．decide D．pick

小题12:

A．at most B．at least C．at last D．at best

小题13:

A．fence B．floor C．edge D．tower

小题14:

A．grateful B．useful C．wonderful D．helpful

小题15:

A．death B．warn C．trouble D．danger

小题16:

A．handle B．ignore C．fear D．hide

小题17:

A．block B．protect C．help D．separate

小题18:

A．forced B．advised C．entered D．led

小题19:

A．amazing B．worrying C．exciting D．interesting

小题20:

A．cost B．doubt C．regret D．waste